Your first keeper striped bass?

[Mike P]

My first keeper only had to be 16". Can't even remember the year, probably about 1966 or 1967. Bell Road on the Canal, the first light west of the RR Bridge, bouncing sea worms on the bottom on the east tide. Caught on an 8' Berkley spinning rod and a Phleuger spinning reel marketed by Shakespeare.

First 30 and first 40 came from somewhere on the back beach near Baulston or Newcomb Hollow, back in the late 1970s. Still waiting on the first 50. Live eels, old white spiral Lamiglas spinning rod from Murats and a green Penn 704. The rod and reel is on page 96 of Daignault's "20 years" book in someone else's hands.